Breakdown of По траве нельзя ходить.
ходить
to walk, go on foot (multidirectional)
нельзя
one must not
по
along, around
трава
grass
Questions & Answers about По траве нельзя ходить.
Why do we use по to mean 'on' here? Wouldn't 'on the grass' be на траве?
You would use на траве if you were talking about being located in one spot, like sitting or lying on the grass. However, when talking about movement across, along, or over a surface, Russian uses the preposition по.
What case is траве in this sentence?
It is in the Dative case. The feminine noun трава (grass) changes its ending to -е because the preposition по, when expressing movement along a surface, requires the Dative case.
Why is there no word for 'you' in the Russian sentence?
The word нельзя translates to 'it is forbidden' or 'one must not'. It is an impersonal word, meaning it doesn't need a subject like 'you' or 'people' to express a general rule.
Why do we use the imperfective verb ходить here?
When нельзя is used to say that an action is strictly forbidden (meaning 'do not do it at all'), it is followed by an imperfective verb. The imperfective ходить refers to the general, ongoing action of walking.
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